


can’t see the end

by firstlove_latespring



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insecurity, Lee Seokmin | DK Is Bad at Feelings, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned SEVENTEEN Ensemble, Mentioned Xu Ming Hao | The8/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Past Relationship(s), Tired Jeon Wonwoo, Trapped In Elevator, University Student Jeon Wonwoo, University Student Lee Seokmin | DK, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 18:58:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstlove_latespring/pseuds/firstlove_latespring
Summary: Seokmin and Wonwoo broke up a month ago. Seokmin and Wonwoo kissed at Jeonghan's party five days ago. Now Seokmin and Wonwoo are stuck in an elevator. Wonwoo starts to ask questions and Seokmin starts to cry.alternatively,,,exes seokwoo get stuck in an elevator alone with their feelings





	can’t see the end

Jeon Wonwoo is the last person Seokmin wants to see right now.

"Shit!" he says.

He starts jabbing the close button hoping for the elevator doors to shut before his ex-boyfriend makes it in time. He really doesn't want to be stuck with Wonwoo. He hopes that the older hasn't noticed his pathetic attempt at escape. He does.

"Hey, Lee Seokmin!" he shouts, starting to run, "I can see what you're doing!"

Seokmin feels like he's sunk a new low. It feels childish to do this. Normally, he's nicer than this. He's usually the epitome of kindness: picking up litter in the park, offering to carry strangers' heavy boxes, and helping old ladies cross the street. But today he feels a little more petty than usual. Maybe it's from the lack of sleep and high amounts of caffeine currently in his system or the fact that he's been hanging around Jeonghan too much. Either way, he just wants to be alone and far away as possible from a certain tall, dark haired man with glasses. 

The doors start to close but it's far too slow for his liking. If this had happened in the new library, Seokmin would have already been long gone but he's in the old library and Seokmin is pretty sure that this elevator is at least fifty years old. It's small and dim and smells like it's had better years before it. It's not fitted with a motion detector between the doors so once it moves to close it doesn't stop. But the doors are achingly slow and Wonwoo's figure starts to become clearer in Seokmin's sight.

He doesn't stop pressing the button.

Now Wonwoo is in no way fit. He's not like Seokmin who's been on the baseball team since his freshman year or has abs as well-defined as Seungcheol or Mingyu's. (He _does_ have them though, Seokmin had seen his fair share of it, but it's mostly because he's skinny and not because he goes to the gym.) But he does have very long legs and the will and determination of a newborn foal learning how to gallop as soon as their out of their mother's womb. It's these said pair of legs that Wonwoo employs to run to the elevator, making it in time for him to squeeze his willowy frame in.

Suddenly Seokmin is face to face with Wonwoo.

Wonwoo is panting, bent over, hands on his thighs as he tries to steady his breathing. He looks up at Seokmin, red faced with his glasses perched on the very end of his nose. He's still as handsome as ever, if not slightly sweaty. But the way his eyes soften for a moment as he looks at the younger makes Seokmin's heart ache all over again.

If Seokmin hadn't broken up with him a month ago, he would have reached out to push them up, laughing fondly with a dash of his easy heart shaped smile. But today he doesn't. Instead he turns away, holding the folder in his hand closer to his chest, as if it could shield him from the pain he feels.

"Hey," Wonwoo says, not his usual eloquent self. He runs a hand through his messy fringe making him look even more handsomely disheveled. Seokmin wants to scream.

"Hello," Seokmin replies, sucking in a breath to steady himself. The elevator is also taking its sweet time to go up and it just so happened that Seokmin had pressed the button for the top floor because he needed to go to the university archives.

They say nothing for a moment as Wonwoo regains composure and stands at his full height, making Seokmin feel so small next to him even though he's much broader and stronger than the older.

"Can you please press the button for the fourth floor?" Seokmin asks, tone polite but clipped. Wonwoo stares at him before scoffing.

"I can't believe you're trying to avoid me even now."

"I'm not avoiding you, Wonwoo hyung," Seokmin draws out his name sharp enough to see Wonwoo wince a little, "I'm asking you to please press the button to the next floor. I want to get off as quickly as possible."

"No." Wonwoo moves to block the keypad.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Seokmin demands. He's not the type who's quick to anger but he's tired and has shit to do and being in such close proximity to Wonwoo is not helping settle his nerves at all. "I asked you nicely, hyung."

"I said 'no' nicely also, Seokmin." Wonwoo is now crossing his arms in front of his chest. Seokmin recognizes the move from when they used to fight and the older wanted the last say. 

"What do you want?" the younger asks, praying for anything to make the damn elevator move up faster. It feels like he's imagining it but it's almost as if the stupid thing has been slowing down.

They stare at each other. The air is heavy and Seokmin feels like he's suffocating. But he knows that Wonwoo won't be backing down anytime soon.

"I want to know why you've been avoiding me."

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” Seokmin huffs, “This is a big school. You don’t have to see me in every hallway.”

“Yeah, but I used to. Did you really think that I wouldn’t notice?” Wonwoo replies, frowning at the younger. "You really think that I wouldn't notice that you started avoiding me the day after we ki—"

The older is interrupted by the way the elevator stutters, shaking both of them inside. Seokmin loses his balance and isn't as quick as Wonwoo to hold onto the railing. His body starts to tip forward but is intercepted by Wonwoo's chest, his free arm wrapped tight around his waist.

"Let go of me," Seokmin whispers, trying his best to plant his hands on Wonwoo's chest and put as much distance as he can.

"It's not safe yet, Seokmin," he replies, as the elevator is still quivering. His arm stays firm and familiar around him. Seokmin decides to close his eyes and hope that he isn't going to die in this stupid piece of ancient metal, in the arms of his former lover, even if he can see how phenomenal of a headline it might be.

After a few more moments the shaking stops and the little speaker under the keypad buzzes to life.

"Hello, is anyone inside the elevator right now?" the voice says, fuzzy but understandable.

Wonwoo finally releases Seokmin. He moves to press on the emergency call button. 

"Yes, there are two of us in here. Do you copy?" he replies, voice calm and steady, very unlike Seokmin's currently beating heart.

"Copy that. Sorry but there was a brief brownout in the library and it has affected the elevator. We've informed maintenance but it might take them an hour to get here and get it fixed," the voice informs them.

"An hour?!" Seokmin exclaims. He's going to be stuck with Wonwoo in a tiny, dank elevator for an hour! 

"Hey, calm down," Wonwoo tried to placate him. 

"I am not going to _calm down_ Jeon Wonwoo! I'm stuck here with you!" Seokmin continues to raise his voice.

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing—"

"Because the last time we were alone, you kissed me—"

"And you kissed me back! It wasn't entirely my fault!"

"Yes it was! You just had to pull me away from my friends for no reason because you wanted to make out with me all of a sudden in the kitchen!"

"That Myungho guy was hitting on you—"

"Myungho is dating Jisoo hyung! He was literally right there standing with us!"

"Okay but if his boyfriend was right there then why was he being so touchy with you?"

Seokmin opens his mouth to argue some more but is cut off by someone clearing their throat. They both stop glaring at each other to turn to the speaker they had unintentionally ignored during their bickering.

"Um, I'm just the security guard and I don't know either of you but it seems like you two have some unfinished business with each other that I think I shouldn’t be eavesdropping into," they said, causing Seokmin to flush red in embarrassment, ashamed of how he'd let Wonwoo get on his nerves and how his emotions got the best of him. Wonwoo didn't seem to fare any better as he pinched his nose and groaned into his hand as if in pain. "So I'm going to turn off the emergency phone to preserve energy and redirect it to the ventilation. I'll call you guys again when maintenance is on their way. Good luck with your uh, feelings guys."

"Wait!" Seokmin lunges forward towards the keypad. "Please don't go! Please don't leave me here with him!"

But it's too late. The speaker goes back to emitting soft static. They're truly alone now.

Neither of them speak, not wanting to reignite the argument. And Seokmin is just so tired. He just wanted to finish his stupid paper and go home and sleep. He looks up to see Wonwoo just staring at him. He's looking at Seokmin the way he did back in September when Seokmin told him that he didn't want to be with him anymore. And that one look is all that it takes for Seokmin's eyes to start fogging up and for big, fat tears to start rolling down his cheeks.

"Seokmin," Wonwoo gasps. He's quick to be by the younger's side, placing one hand gingerly on Seokmin's arm and the other hand cupping his cheek, thumb gently wiping away tears.

"I'm sorry," is all that Seokmin manages to croak out before pulling Wonwoo closer to him. He buries his face into the older's chest, right where he always used to. Wonwoo still smells like the vanilla perfume Seokmin got him for his birthday and it makes him cry even more, dampening his ex-boyfriend's shirt.

"Hey," Wonwoo says softly, wrapping his arm around Seokmin again, this time to no protesting. "What are you saying sorry for anyway?"

"I'm sorry for being so shitty towards you and avoiding you and being stuck with you. I'm just so tired, hyung. I'm tired of everything." Seokmin's shoulders start to shake as he begins to sob. He hasn't cried this much since September.

"I'm sorry for cornering you, Seokmin," Wonwoo apologizes, "I shouldn't have started demanding answers from you. That was stupid of me."

"Yeah, it really was," the younger agrees, making them both laugh momentarily. 

Wonwoo is drawing non-sensical patterns on Seokmin's side, knowing exactly how to calm him down. Seokmin's nose is blocked and he feels gross.

"Here," Wonwoo lets go of Seokmin's face to reach into his messenger bag to retrieve a baby blue handkerchief, a gift from Seokmin's mom. Seokmin feels absolutely horrible. He starts crying again because of a stupid piece of cloth.

"Hey, Seokmin. Please calm down," Wonwoo whispers into his hair, pulling him in close again. "You know that it hurts me too when I see you cry."

"I'm such a piece of shit," Seokmin states, accepting the handkerchief anyway to start rubbing at his face. "Every time my mom calls she still asks about you."

"Yeah?"

"She told me that you called her to apologize about hurting me," Seokmin squeezes his eyes in sync with how the words squeeze at his heart, "I couldn't even tell her that I was the one who broke up with you."

The handkerchief is closed to soaked and Seokmin blows his nose, not liking how his voice had become so nasally. He blows into the cloth until his nostrils clear up and he can start breathing normally again. He pulls away from Wonwoo, but the older keeps his arms around him in a loose hold. Seokmin knows that he can move away even further, but he doesn't.

Seokmin has always been known to cry easily. His soft heart would make him tear up at the sight of a sad puppy on TV or even at looking at a cute baby being carried by their mother on the street. Wonwoo knows this, of course. And Seokmin knows that the older had tried his very best not to make him cry in the year and a half that they had been together. Still, they didn't avoid the handful of fights they'd have in the months consisting of their relationship. There were disagreements and arguments but Wonwoo had always stopped when the first tear rolled down Seokmin's cheek. 

Seokmin can't count the number of times that he's cried in front of Wonwoo, _because_ of Wonwoo, but Seokmin knew that the older would drop everything and anything just to make him smile again.

"She did?" Wonwoo asks, genuinely surprised. Seokmin nods as he starts to just sniffle. "I didn't think that she would."

"She did. She still loves you, you know?"

"I know."

"And I still love you."

"I know."

Seokmin looks up at Wonwoo. Wonwoo is looking at him with a feline determination he knows too well. His dark eyes were focused on him and him alone as if nothing else mattered in the world. The younger knew that the blush on his cheeks is going to reach the tips of his ears, a side effect from his hyung's intense gaze and the sudden admission and acknowledgment of his love.

"Then why'd you let me break up with you?" Seokmin asks, lowering his gaze.

"I thought— I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought it would make you happier," Wonwoo admits, sounding breathless, "But I don't think it did."

Seokmin shook his head not trusting himself to find the right words to say.

"You didn't even tell me why you wanted to break up. I thought I did something wrong, Seokmin. I thought I had fucked up so bad you didn't want to talk about it."

The younger raises his head to look at Wonwoo at the sound of how pained he was. He was frowning and his brow was furrowed. Seokmin reached out to hold his face with Wonwoo closing his eyes and leaning into his touch.

"I'm sorry," Seokmin whispered. "I was an idiot."

"We were both idiots," Wonwoo tries to laugh but it comes off too airy. "I was an idiot too for just letting you go like that."

Seokmin feels like crying again but he doesn't think that he has it in him to cry anymore. He's tired and he knows that Wonwoo is tired too.

"Do you—" Seokmin swallows before continuing, "Do you still want to know why I broke up with you?"

Wonwoo pulls him closer. 

"Yes," he says, barely a whisper.

"I just got ahead of myself," he begins as he settles his hand on Wonwoo's shoulder. "I had this talk with Jeonghan hyung about the future. Our future. He asked me if we were going to stay together even after you graduated. I didn't know what to say. 

"Sure, he and Seungcheol hyung worked out but then again they had graduated at the same time. You're graduating next semester and I'm going to stay here for another year. I became more and more insecure and anxious. What if I would just hold you back? What if we would grow apart because we couldn't see each other as often as we do while we're still in school? It was stupid but it got the best of me. Fuck, I didn't even take _your_ feelings into consideration. I was too up in my head to think of what you wanted.

"I was so convinced that I was going to make the right decision for us. So I thought why should I put it off until your graduation? Why not get it over with as early as September so that by the time that you graduated he would have already moved on? 

"But then I broke up with you and you didn't even fight back and it made me feel so shitty. And you even agreed to stay civil with me and my friends even though I know it hurt so fucking bad to see you almost every day, to see you without me. I thought that things were going to be okay, that you were going to move on to better things and maybe find someone who actually deserves you."

"No one's better for me than you, Seokmin," Wonwoo states, eyes and arms steady like deep water. "You have to know that. You _have_ to."

"I do now," Seokmin chuckles. For the first time, his chest feels lighter than it has in weeks. "I thought I was moving on but then you kissed me last Saturday and all I could think about was how much I missed you. I really missed you, hyung."

"Yeah?" Wonwoo asks with a glint in his eye. His hands move down to hold Seokmin's hips, eliciting a gasp from the younger, "What exactly did you miss about me?"

"I missed this," says Seokmin, brushing his thumb against Wonwoo's brow, "I missed the way you looked at me."

Wonwoo hummed, eyes fluttering shut as he took a step forward, forcing the younger to take a step back.

"I missed the way that you smell," he continues, letting Wonwoo back him against the wall with a dull thud as his shoulders hit metal. "I missed how your hands are big enough to hold me like this."

"Tell me more," the older leans in. Seokmin can feel his warm breath against the shell of his ear, too close for comfort. 

"I missed how you like backing me up walls," Seokmin laughs and it feels good. It feels right.

"Do you wanna know why I kissed you?" Wonwoo asks, his lips just barely brushing the side of Seokmin's neck. He shivers and he knows that Wonwoo feels it, the corners of his mouth turning up to smirk.

"Yeah," Seokmin breathes out. He's trapped inside a dumb elevator, alone with Jeon Wonwoo, against Jeon Wonwoo. And Seokmin knows that this is where he's supposed to be.

"I saw how Myungho touched you and how happy you looked. I almost went blind with jealousy. I wanted you so bad that I just couldn't help myself, Seokmin."

He doesn't know what to say as Wonwoo raises his head to press his forehead against Seokmin's. The younger gasps. He knows all too well where this is heading but he wants to see how it draws out. He brings his hands to the back of Wonwoo's neck, not missing the way the older's eyes flick back and forth between his eyes and his lips.

“What about now?” Seokmin teases, hands playing with the short hairs on the older’s nape.

“Right now?” Wonwoo says, nose scrunching in delight. “I still want you, Lee Seokmin. I still want all of you.”

Seokmin beams at him.

Unable to resist the magnetic pull between them, they meet halfway and kiss. Wonwoo still tastes the same, cool and wet and unmistakably Wonwoo. They kiss for every day they weren’t together, each one an apology in plush lip and soft sigh. Seokmin kisses to apologize and Wonwoo kisses to forgive.

He’s missed the way Wonwoo bites on his lower lip, knowing how much he loves hearing the younger gasp. He missed the way Wonwoo holds his hips firm and steady. He missed the way Wonwoo kisses each mole on his face making him laugh, lips forming the shape of a heart.

He forgot how much of a good kisser Wonwoo is. He knows how to move, how to make Seokmin gasp, how to make him come back for more.

Seokmin remembers how rushed and unforgiving their last kiss had been. He remembers how his lower back had hurt as Wonwoo pressed him against the kitchen counter.

But right now, they’re taking their time, reacquainting their teeth, lips, and tongue. Seokmin is able to map out the shape of Wonwoo’s mouth and run his fingers through his soft dark hair. There’s time to laugh at how they managed to fog up Wonwoo’s glasses, perching askew on the tip of his nose. And there’s time for Seokmin to push it up, laughing before kissing him where it had been a few moments ago.

Their lips are about to meet again when they’re interrupted by the speaker.

“Hey!” they greet, “I hope you guys talked it out! Maintenance is working on the elevator right now. How are you guys holding up?”

“We’re okay,” Seokmin says, grinning. And he means it. He really means it.

“That’s good to hear! The elevator should be up and running in five minutes. Sorry for the delay, kids.”

“It’s okay,” Wonwoo says not loud enough to be picked up by the microphone. “I’m actually glad that this happened.”

“Hey, I had to be stuck with you for a whole hour!” Seokmin playfully swats his hyung.

“Why do you make that sound like it’s a bad thing?” Wonwoo laughs, “We used to do all sorts of things in just an hour—“

“Hyung!” Seokmin swats him harder this time. Wonwoo even pretends to be really hurt this time. He puts his hands on his chest and dramatically groans.

“Just when I thought you weren’t going to break my heart again, Seokmin!”

“Never again,” Seokmin promises, still smiling. He reaches forward to cup the older’s face in his hands. “I’m never going to break your heart ever again if you promise to never break mine either.”

“I promise,” Wonwoo says, looking at Seokmin with all the love he has to offer. “Hyung adores you, Seokmin.”

“I know,” he giggles, pulling in Wonwoo for a kiss.

“Another one.”

Seokmin kisses him again.

“Another.”

They’re smiling too much. Seokmin’s cheeks hurt and their teeth clink when they kiss.

“One more,” Wonwoo says, fond how Seokmin pretends to be annoyed but gives in anyway.

Their lips meet once again and it’s sweet and promising and familiar and new. Seokmin wants to give Wonwoo a kiss for every hour they were apart. He wants to kiss Wonwoo’s stupid, handsome face until he’s numb from smiling too much.

They pull away, panting, as the elevator dings. They’ve made it to the top floor. They collect themselves as the doors open. The outside seems so much brighter as they step out.

As the older jokes about swearing to only use the stairs from now on, Seokmin laces his fingers in between Wonwoo’s. Nothing has changed. Nothing except Seokmin and Wonwoo. Seokmin looks back to see the elevator closing it’s doors, slow yet steady. He smiles softly as the doors finally close and takes with it all the pain and sadness he and Wonwoo gave each other. He looks ahead to see Wonwoo leading him by the hand, holding Seokmin’s folder against his heart.

Seokmin can always turn back and see the beginning of his relationship with Wonwoo. He sees the present as it unfolds. But what he can’t see is the future stretched out for them, the infinite possibilities. Everything is brighter. Seokmin looks at Wonwoo, the man he loves, the man who loves him. They have no idea how everything will turn out. But despite this, he looks forward and smiles. Seokmin can’t see the end of what’s to come. 

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!! I just wanted to write an angsty yet soft seokwoo fic for my beloved boys!!! I just love their dynamic so much uwu they're such a cute but underrated ship!!
> 
> the title is from their song "can't see the end" with the hhu and dk singing the hook!! it's really good!! (as all svt songs are) please give it a listen if you haven't yet!! 
> 
> pledis please give us a seokwoo duet!! 
> 
> comments and feedback are v appreciated!! thank you for taking the time to read this fic!! I hope you enjoyed it <3


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